A natural problem encountered by women is the need to urinate in a normal, toilet sitting position in situations that are unsanitary, uncomfortable, or simply inconvenient. Public restrooms are used by innumerable people on a daily basis and as can be imagined, become breeding grounds for pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Poor maintenance of these restroom facilities results in unsightly, grimy, and foul conditions. Several products are available to allow women to circumvent the conventional toilet sitting position while urinating. These products are primarily intended for women who wish to avoid using unsanitary public restrooms as well as women who do not have direct access to restrooms, for example in the outdoors. Female urination devices (FUDs), also known as stand-to-pee (STP) devices, generally encompass devices featuring an open entryway connected to a cone shaped funnel or elongated nozzle to direct the flow of urine away from the user's body, sometimes into a bottle.
The funnels and nozzles commonly found on many devices contribute to an overall increase in size and weight of the devices while hindering their collapsibility and portability. Another common deficiency found in the prior art is the lack of a properly conformed seal between a device and the user's body. This often results in leakage onto the user's hands and/or clothes as urine enters into the device. An additional problem exhibited by some devices encompasses non-hypoallergenic materials of which the devices are composed. These devices may cause allergic reactions on a user's skin. The present invention seeks to address the issues raised by the existing prior art and improve upon the prior art as well.
The present invention is a female urination device that allows women to urinate in a standing position while directing the flow of urine away from their bodies. In the preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a fluid collecting body with a concave interior surface and a convex exterior surface. The fluid collecting body has a vulval opening that is delineated by a rim that is shaped to receive the bilateral symmetry of a female human crotch. The concave interior surface delineates a fluid collecting portion that is positioned above a spout, wherein the spout is directed towards the front end of the fluid collecting body. During urination, urine is able to enter the fluid collecting portion of the fluid collecting body through the vulval opening before traveling downward by the force of gravity and exiting through the spout. The material of the present invention is flexible in order to allow the user to firmly press the device against her body to prevent leakage.
The object of the present invention is to allow a woman to urinate in a standing position. To use the present invention, a woman positions the fluid collecting body such that the spout is aligned with her labia majora and urinates into the interior of the fluid collecting body. The concave interior surface prevents the spraying urine from exiting the fluid collecting body during use, except through the spout. Urine enters the fluid collecting portion and exits the fluid collecting body through the spout and away from the user. The present invention seeks to direct the flow of urine away from the user by making the fluid arc without the need for an elongated nozzle. Additionally, the present invention capitalizes on the force of gravity as urine is directed into the fluid collecting portion and forced out of the spout. The present invention is collapsible for improved portability due to the flexible material of the device. Furthermore, the present invention is available in both disposable and reusable variants.